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>> Sarcoma diagnosis is a life-changing diagnosis.
It's very common to be nervous.
It's very common to be apprehensive,
it's very normal and it's
important for patients to understand that
even though they do have a very rare cancer of sarcoma.
These are cancers that we believe we can cure with surgery,
radiotherapy, and/or with chemotherapy.
As a surgeon, I have the opportunity
to walk patients through the entire process,
from the initial consultation to a discussion of their cancer,
to the surgery and through
the rehabilitation and I find that tremendously rewarding.
New patient consultations are
typically an hour and during that time,
we spend a considerable amount of time answering questions,
drawing diagrams, looking at models,
that I make sure that the patients understand
exactly what they're getting into upfront.
During the consultation,
I do everything I can to put the patient at ease,
ensure that they understand
that this is a very rare tumor and they're in
the right place and they need to be
surrounded by experts that communicate regularly.
Patients should ask as many questions as they like.
I will never let a question go unanswered.
It's essential for their understanding and their healing process.
Decisions on how to treat
sarcomas are not typically made by one person,
they're made by a team comprised of orthopedic oncologists,
surgeons like myself,
medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and so on.
We meet weekly to discuss all new sarcoma cases that come
through our various clinics and in
those meetings each patient is presented,
images reviewed and we come
up with a treatment plan unique to each patient.
All sarcomas will require some form of
a biopsy and that can be a surgical procedure.
Once a diagnosis has been made,
some sarcomas can be treated simply with surgery.
Other sarcomas need radiotherapy first, chemotherapy first,
and then surgery and still,
other sarcomas will require
a combination of all three of these things.
There are two parts to any sarcoma surgery.
The first step is to remove
the tumor as safely and as effectively as possible.
The second step of a sarcoma surgery is the reconstruction,
and that's done particularly if we remove a bone.
We can replace bone,
we can replace joints to make sure that each patient
has the highest possible functional status after surgery.
Sometimes cancer surgery requires us to
remove otherwise healthy tissue even bones,
even limbs and we deal with those on a case-by-case basis.
We're also able to offer
the most advanced amputation techniques
here at Sydney Kimmel which is called osseointegration.
That involves the direct skeletal attachment
of a prosthetic directly to the bone.
Osseointegration obviates the need for a socket.
Sockets are problematic, they get hot,
patients sweat, they don't fit,
right, and that frustrates patients.
Especially as they're trying to regain
their functional independence and quality of life.
By removing the socket from the equation,
patients can do things they could never do in a socket.
>> It allows for more stability and feeling for
your prosthetic limb especially when you're stepping and moving,
provides a lot more mobility and connectivity to
the ground and your surroundings so you can
feel where you are and where you're moving.
>> There aren't too many centers in the world
that offer osseointegration surgery,
so we're proud to be one of them here at the Mid-Atlantic area.
>> I'm really lucky to have Dr. Forsberg here who was able to
find me and work with me and end
up being able to provide me with this surgery.
>> Talking to patients who are facing
an amputation or a large surgery,
rehabilitation is very important
and my military experience has taught
me there is life after major limb operations.
There is life after an amputation as awful as that sounds.
We work with our patients through
rehabilitation to make sure that they
have the best functional outcome possible.
We developed a relationship with all of our patients.
After a tumor comes out we're not finished,
we have a surveillance plan in place to
ensure that if the tumor does come back it's
detected as early as possible and
these relationships last for many years in most cases.
I love the patients. I love the team approach.
I love knowing that we're bringing
the best possible team to treat sarcoma patients.
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